Warrior Cats: What If Mapleshade's kits surivived?
by StarrytheKitty
Summary: What would've happened if Mapleshade's kits didn't die from drowning and if Mapleshade was able to join RiverClan with her mate, Appledusk?
1. Chapter 1

Mapleshade was listening to Oakstar speaking about some warriors from ThunderClan tracking some adders and blocking the adders nest with stones. She overheard a ShadowClan elder stating that they were lucky that they didn't get bitten. She overheard another cat talking about an apprentice named Marshpaw who got bitten by an adder on his first patrol. As Mapleshade went by some RiverClan cats and she heard them snarling at her and the ginger tortoiseshell and white she-cat overheard them talking about the battle. "Remember when Appledusk struck that ThunderClan warrior, Birchface so hard that he fell into the river and drowned?" One of the RiverClan warriors meowed. Mapleshade remembered the day and remembered when Birchface's apprentice, Flowerpaw leapt in the river to save him but suffered the same fate as her mentor. Mapleshade's thoughts got interrupted as soon as she saw a pale brown tom with pale holly green eyes approach her. She quickly recognized the tom as her mate, Appledusk. "Appledusk, where were you for the past few moons?" Mapleshade asked in a happy tone. "Well, RiverClan decided to double the patrols and I'm unable to sneak out of camp as there's more of a risk. But, I promise that I will see you tonight after the gathering." The pale brown tom replied. Mapleshade nodded then she remembered about her expecting kits. "I also have something to tell you." Mapleshade meowed. "What is it?" Appledusk asked. "I'm expecting your kits." The ginger tortoiseshell and white she-cat meowed as her amber eyes brightened. Appledusk's pale holly green eyes widened and he smiled. "That's great!" Appledusk responded in a delighted tone. Mapleshade nodded. "Don't try to come and see me until I have my kits." Mapleshade whispered. Appledusk nodded. "Appledusk!" A RiverClan warrior called out. The two cats turned around to find Reedshine. "I've been looking for you everywhere. You need to come listen to these ShadowClan cats. They're telling a funny story about a frog!" The dark orange she-cat meowed. Appledusk hesitated for a few moments. "Okay, I'll come." The pale brown tom meowed. Reedshine coaxed Appledusk towards the group of cats with her tail on her back. As the two RiverClan warriors padded towards the group of cats Mapleshade glared at Reedshine. _'_ _Reedshine needs to stay away from Appledusk because he's my mate and I having the kits to prove that he's mine.'_ Mapleshade thought to herself in anger. After when all of the leaders from each clan shared about what happened in their clans the gathering ended and all of the cats grouped up with their clan mates to head back to their camps. As soon as Mapleshade got back to camp she headed straight towards the Warriors' den. She then curled up in her nest and quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

"Hey Mapleshade." A voice meowed. The ginger tortoiseshell and white she-cat slowly opened her amber eyes to find Nettlepaw standing in front of her. "What is it Nettlepaw?" Mapleshade tiredly meowed. "Beetail wants you on dawn patrol." Nettlepaw told the ginger and white tortoiseshell she-cat. Mapleshade nodded and got up but she stumbled out of her nest. "Why're so slow?" The ragged ginger tom meowed in a bit of an irritated tone. "What would Deerdapple do if you spoke to her like that?" Mapleshade teased. "She would probably make me search for ticks for a moon." Nettlepaw admitted. Beetail saw Mapleshade and looked at her. "Come on, it's time to go out of camp to patrol." The dark brown tabby tom meowed. "Beetail, I'm expecting kits and I don't think it's a good idea for me to go out on patrol." Mapleshade meowed. Beetail's eyes went wide. "Oh, then you're excused from patrols and congratulations." Beetail responded in an awkward tone. Frecklewish's ears perked and her dark amber eyes brightened as she ran over to Mapleshade. Mapleshade saw the speckled golden furred she-cat run up to her. "You're having kits!? Whose the father? Is it Birchface!?" Frecklewish asked with an enthusiastic tone. Mapleshade didn't answer Frecklewish. "I'm happy that my brother would live through you, Mapleshade." Frecklewish meowed with her enthusiastic tone staying. Mapleshade went into her nest and rested in it and Frecklewish followed the ginger and white tortoiseshell and rested beside her. "I promise that I'll take care of you." Frecklewish meowed with a smile. _'I never said Birchface was the father though and Frecklewish insisted the idea when I didn't answer...'_ Mapleshade thought to herself. _'But, this is my chance given to me by StarClan to hide the fact that Appledusk is the actual father...'_ Mapleshade thought to herself in relief.

A few sunrises later Mapleshade felt a few sudden sharp pains and she twitched. Then, her amber eyes widened as she realized what was happening. Her kits were coming! Mapleshade twitched in pain and she saw Frecklewish. The golden speckled she-cat's dark amber eyes went wide. "Mapleshade, are you okay!?" Frecklewish meowed with concern. "N-no, my kits are coming...!" Mapleshade meowed in panic. Frecklewish and Mapleshade rushed to the Medicine cat's den to find the Medicine cat, Ravenwing. Ravenwing turned around the small black thick-furred tom turned around and rested his dark sky-blue gaze on the two she-cats and then he looked at Mapleshade quickly realizing what was going on. Mapleshade collapsed onto one of the nests in the Medicine cat's den and the two cats rushed over to her as Mapleshade writhed in agony. "Calm down Mapleshade, you'll be alright." Ravenwing calmly meowed.

After all of the pain Mapleshade had three kits. Two tom kits and one she-kit. She named the two toms Patchkit and Larchkit and she named the she-kit Petalkit. Mapleshade looked at Frecklewish. "Frecklewish, could you fetch me some water?" Mapleshade quietly meowed. Frecklewish nodded and padded out of the Medicine cat's den. Ravenwing looked at Mapleshade. "Frecklewish makes life worth living with the birth of your kits." Ravenwing meowed. Mapleshade buried her muzzle into her kits and she smiled. "They're my gift to ThunderClan." Mapleshade murmured.


	2. Chapter 2

_Three Sunrises Later..._

Oakstar padded to the Nursery to visit Mapleshade and her kits and he stood outside of it. "Oh hello Oakstar, come in." Mapleshade greeted as she was trying to get Petalkit off of her head. "I'm surprised at how the kits can hobble around so much yet constantly being at my belly." The ginger tortoiseshell said as she let out a _mrrow_ in laughter. Oakstar padded into the Nursery and stared at Mapleshade's kits. "Hello there, little one." Oakstar purred at the small she-kit. Petalkit let out a surprised mew and slid off of her mother's head and into her moss bed. "My kits, I would like you to meet our leader, Oakstar." Mapleshade said as she introduced her kits to the dark brown tom. The three kits swarmed towards Oakstar with their small tails high in the air but Oakstar guided them back to Mapleshade. "I'm not only their leader, I'm their kin as Birchface was my son..." "I'm sure Birchface is watching from StarClan." Mapleshade calmly said, secretly feeling uncomfortable. "My son was a great warrior and they will be honored if he lives on through your kits." The brown tom quietly said. Frecklewish entered the Nursery with a vole in her jaws. "Here Mapleshade, I got the first pick in the freshkill pile!" The she-cat happily spoke. _'Would it be rude to ask Oakstar to leave?'_ Mapleshade thought to herself as she felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Frecklewish turned to her father, "What do you think of the kits? I can clearly see Birchface in every one of them." Frecklewish happily meowed. Mapleshade was confused as none of them really looked like the dead warrior but the ginger tortoiseshell she-cat stayed silent and waited for Oakstar to speak. "What're their names?" "The dark brown tom is Larchkit, the pale, patched ginger and white tom is Patchkit, and the little pale brown she-kit is Petalkit." The queen answered. "Those are good names." "Oh... I thought you would name one after Birchface.." Frecklewish said as she looked disappointed. "I just want them to become their own warrior, not an echo of a dead cat." "ThunderClan is blessed to have you as a queen, Mapleshade, and I'm looking forward to seeing them grow up." Oakstar purred. "I can't wait to see RiverClan's reaction to this at the next gathering!" Frecklewish commented. "Yeah, tell them that I have three healthy, strong kits and make sure to tell Appledusk first." "Huh? Why would I want to talk to the cat that killed my brother?" The golden-furred she-cat asked. "He must know that ThunderClan will be stronger than ever thanks to my kits." Mapleshade insisted. Frecklewish dug her claws into the ground at the thought of RiverClan fearing ThunderClan. "Don't worry, there will be no harm of having them know about the new kits." Oakstar meowed as he looked at his daughter. "ThunderClan may have lost two cats, but Birchface's legacy will live on, giving us three kits to protect our Clan." The leader meowed. Mapleshade's amber eyes widened with alarm. "But you should show mercy to defeated Warriors...!" "Appledusk showed no mercy to Birchface and Flowerpaw!" Frecklewish hissed. Mapleshade was about to open her mouth in protest and say how Birchface and Flowerpaw's deaths were accidental but Mapleshade stayed silent not wanting Frecklewish to think that Mapleshade has any sympathy for the RiverClan tom. "Our top priority is to make sure Mapleshade and her kits are safe and we will raise them to be great warriors like Birchface and have them avenge his death when they're older." Oakstar meowed as he was backing out of the Nursery.

Frecklewish bent over to touch her nose to the kits' bodies and she murmured. "They're my brother's gift to ThunderClan and the most precious creatures in the forest." Mapleshade almost batted the golden speckled she-cat away from her kits as they're Mapleshade's and not the other she-cat's but she understood how her love for the kits will go a long way in having them accept their real father, Appledusk, when the time comes to tell the truth. _'By the time my kits are apprentices, the truth will not change ThunderClan's opinion on them, Oakstar would value them for who they are and not for his son's legacy and once RiverClan knows the kits' true father, they will also understand...'_ Mapleshade thought to herself.


End file.
